Readers of these Chronicles and Updates, prepared and
circulated by MAC, will now reap the benefits of their efforts at
digesting this perhaps unfamiliar and arcane material: a subtle
shift has to have occurred in the reader’s consciousness. Prior to
this study a visit to the room in Auroville may not have caused a
jarring effect in one’s consciousness. But after the Chronicles, no
one can now claim that the crystal and stand of the Auroville
version should remain in place and continue to be advertised as the
Mother’s creation. To the newly enhanced eye, it is, if nothing else,
cacophony.
To prove the
point, we present here two photographs of the centrepiece of the
Chamber. The first version has been done with meticulous care so as
to reproduce the Mother’s vision as faithfully as possible. The
model was made by an Auroville interior designer in 1977. His view
was that ‘a picture speaks louder than words’. He believed that if a
model were made of the Mother’s Vision, certainly the executing
architect would be convinced by the sheer impact of its beauty and
he would agree to return to her original plan. Of course by 1977
there was no hope of retrieving anything of that original since the
floor diameter and 15-step entrance had been eliminated. But those
of us who were involved at the time supported his efforts
nonetheless. The result, when faithfully reproduced in every detail,
was the stunning image that has since come to be known as ‘Agni in
the Core’. It reached the world on the cover and centrepiece of
The New Way, published in 1981 by Aeon Books.
The reader must
note one of the Core’s distinctive attributes: It casts no
shadows. Even its reflection is luminous. Indeed, luminosity,
effulgence, a glowing emanation of Light is the impact Agni in the
Core makes on the viewer. And hence it is a representation in sacred
art of the creative FULLNESS, the descent of the Light of Gnosis.
The next
feature to note is its perfect balance. This occurs because each
element that constitutes this composite form is in perfect relation
to every other element: the proportions are exquisite, the harmony
is unmistakable. The Pedestal, above all, is solid, powerful,
purposeful.
On the other
hand, we have the Auroville product reproduced below the Mother’s.
The visual impact leaves no doubt in the viewer’s mind that this
version is simply the exact opposite of the Mother’s original
– its ‘shadow’, as it were. There is no light, no effulgence, no
FULLNESS. There is only emptiness and darkness where there should
be nothing but light. Its sophisticated veneer cannot mask its dark
purpose; the discerning eye is not fooled.

The Core according to the Mother’s
original (See The New Way, Vols. 1-2)

The Auroville version of the Mother's Temple

Every detail of the Auroville version strengthens the view that this
rendition created by the architect in his own image, - that
is, as a product of his creative devices and consciousness
rather than the Mother’s – is exactly the opposite of hers. For
example, in the architect’s version the centrepiece is raisedabove floor level; according to the Knowledge, the Core
should be placed 20 cms below floor level. The crystal is
transparent not translucent; hence it is dark and not light-filled.
The stand is vacant and effete, lacking the right proportions to
support the crystal properly; this see-through version cannot
compare to the power of the Mother’s design in stone. Each and every
item has similarly been reversed; with the result that the
symbolism is also reversed.
Many have been
taken in by the construction’s university-trained architects who
believe that they know best and that the Mother was in no position
to understand even simple aesthetics to the extent that they were
trained to do. And yet, in that sphere too there is no comparison.
Aesthetics can only be enhanced when Truth is the basis of the
creative process.
However, there are still questions to be asked. Our photograph of
the Mother’s version was circulated from 1981 onwards, widely enough
to safely assume that the architects and builders of the temple in
Auroville had access to this image before they took major
decisions when fashioning their crystal and stand. Moreover, they
had the Mother’s own words which could leave no doubt as to what
she wanted, even if they wished to disregard our efforts,
convincing as they might be. And so, the question we ask is, Did
the Auroville architect purposely and wilfully design
the centrepiece to bethe exact opposite of what the Mother
wanted? Readers
can verify the matter for themselves: In every detail what stands in
Auroville today, proclaimed to be the Mother’s original, has been
reversed. The final result is evident for all to see: darkness and
not light. Again we ask: Was this deliberate? Those who have
contributed to the Auroville construction, both in the township and
throughout the world, must ask this vital question. If they do not,
then one has to wonder if the atmosphere generated by the reversed
form has taken its toll beyond redemption.

‘The effects of such a
disintegrating occult force are subtle, impossible for the human
being to perceive and understand. This power is a hundredfold
intensified when given a material support such as a Matrimandir.
When this happens we find that suddenly, almost imperceptibly, the
atmosphere begins to change, the area becomes pervaded with a fog
that clouds the people’s consciousness. Friends turn to foes,
falsehood is held up as truth, and—worst of all, no one can perceive,
no one can see the Truth. Each one believes himself to be its
upholder, when in fact each one is subjected to the same toxic force,
living under the same cloud, being made use of for the one end:
disintegration, disunity, division—in a word, the opposite of Truth’s
goal. And this is being accomplished by a power greater than the
human, which he cannot combat without a psychic realisation, or
without at least some touch of the soul as his support and guiding
light.’